Torn for 15-year-old - to let her move in.

[Bloodybrambles]

I have a 15-year-old niece. Bit of a back story, my brother died a couple of years ago and he wasn’t a great father with her mum bringing her up. I’d recognise the mum on the street but not to chat to, we’ve exchanged a few messages over FB when my niece would occasionally stay but not much else.

My DN has a few issues. She’s been suspended from school a few times and at a family party she announced it was “sooo unfair as my friend took the piss out of my moody science teacher as he’s a paki and she did a funny voice and all I did was laugh”. Also “I hate school so when my friends come around asking for a walk I walk out of lessons as they’re sooo boring but I get in trouble for ‘distracting’ so I can’t win”. “I’ve quit school as mum can’t make me go as everyone is a bitch” etc etc.

However, now I’ve heard her mum has kicked her out, social came over to try to be mediators but that’s not worked. By the evening she was back out sofa surfing and that was a month ago.

I hate the idea of a family member sofa surfing but I just don’t think I’ve got the skillset to really help her.

It depends of whether she is somewhere safe, and whether you have other responsibilities (like younger dc).

In honesty I think I'd be very worried for her safety and I'd try hard to have her, though there would have to be ground rules.

Homeless teenage girls living on people's sofas are very vulnerable.

Personally for me you can only try and give it ago, as the previous poster said your DN will be highly at risk and vulnerable. Vulnerable to CCE and CSE. CSWS have a duty to her though and if she is homeless should be working with her to find her a placement, whether this is semi independent when she is 16 or a looked after place in a care home.

Also as absent as your brother was, his death would have had a profound impact on her new her mh.

I would try. SW should be able to provide some support. You might not be successful but all you can do is try to help.

You could consider trying, but you’d need to invest considerable time and also money imo.